Switzerland Trip Cost Breakdown: Is It As Expensive as They Say?

We recently traveled to Switzerland as a family of five with three kids, ages 6, 3, and 1. I knew that Switzerland wasn’t going to be the cheapest place we’d ever traveled; however, I was surprised at how expensive some things were (I’m looking at you, cable cars 👀).

We didn’t have all the money to spend in the world; however, I did want to make sure we had a great, memorable experience.

I was able to find a beautiful but affordable place to stay in Lauterbrunnen (click here to check it out) at the base of Staubbach Falls, and we were able to experience so many fun, unique activities all while taking in epic Swiss Alps views.

In this guide, I’ll give you our complete Switzerland trip cost breakdown with exactly what we paid for everything (except for flights and groceries). Flight costs vary so much by where you’re flying from, and if you happen to catch a good deal or not, that it doesn’t make sense to include it in this budget breakdown.

*There may be affiliate links in this post. Read my privacy/disclosure policy to learn more.

🇨🇭 IN A RUSH? HERE ARE OUR SWITZERLAND FAVORITES🇨🇭


WHERE WE STAYED: 

😍 Bungalows at Camping Jungfrau:We LOVED staying in these 2-bedroom bungalows located RIGHT at the base of Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen. They are super cute, have an amazing view, a full kitchen, and they are AFFORDABLE. 


ACTIVITIES WE BOOKED: 

🛖 Ballenberg Open-Air Museum: This open-air museum was an unexpected surprise and we really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the past. We even got to see how they used to make cheese and have a cheese tasting!

🚲 Lauterbrunnen Valley Bike Rentals: The best way to explore the gorgeous Lauterbrunnen Valley is on bike (in my humble opinion). It's so much more fun than walking and you get to see so much more. They have e-bikes along with kid bikes and trailers!

🧗 Murren Via Ferrata: My husband took this beginner-friendly vai Ferrata tour (while we played at an alpine playground) and it was his favorite experience of the entire trip. 


HOW WE SAVED MONEY ON OUR RENTAL CAR: 

🚘 Economy Bookings Car Rental: Any bit you can save on your car rental is worth it. Our go-to is Economy Bookings.

TRAVEL PASSES IN SWITZERLAND:

🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Swiss Travel Pass: Take the headache away from booking public transit with FREE train, bus and boat rides in Switzerland + FREE entry to over 500 museums + 50% discount on select mountain excursions and mountain rail travel. 

🚆 🚌 ⛴️  Swiss Half-Fare Card:Enjoy 50% discount on all public transportation (trains, boats, and buses) in Switzerland INCLUDING most mountain railways and cable cars.

🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Jungfrau Travel Pass: Enjoy unlimited bus, boat, train, and cable car rides for between 3 and 8 days in the Jungfrau Region.

OUR OTHER TRAVEL FAVORITES:

📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers 
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accommodations: Booking, Expedia, VRBO, Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using the above link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

Is it Expensive to visit Switzerland?

Yes, Switzerland is expensive and is not a budget destination. However, it’s doable. If you book far enough in advance, you can find some great, but more affordable places to stay, and if you prepare your own meals, you’ll save plenty of money too.

I was most surprised by the cost of food, activities, and cable cars ($60-$75 for a round-trip cable car ticket is not unusual 😲).

Our accommodations were more expensive than what we usually pay for our European trips; however, I lucked out and found a surprisingly beautiful (but affordable for Swiss standards) 2-bedroom bungalow right in the heart of Lauterbrunnen, which was perfect (it was about $350 per night).

Food is another expense that’s just going to cost more no matter what you do. A main entree at a normal (not super fancy) restaurant will average about $30-35.

We only ate out two times and otherwise bought food at the grocery store to pack for lunch and to make dinners at our bungalow.

You can expect to pay 25-35% more at a Swiss grocery store than at your usual US grocery store.

Our Switzerland Family Trip Cost Breakdown

We spent 7 days and 6 nights in Switzerland, where we stayed all 6 nights in Lauterbrunnen, rented a car (many people use the Swiss Travel Pass instead), rode multiple cable cars, and had an overall amazing time.

We spent five of those seven days exploring Switzerland, since the first and last days were travel days.

✨ Click here to check out my 5-Day Switzerland Itinerary with Kids! ✨

💰Switzerland Prices

• Car Rental (7 days): $471 (alternative would have been a Swiss Travel Pass that would have cost $1,433 for two adults and one child, with the two youngest kids free)
• Cable Cars/Funicular/Mountain Train: all round-trip costs for two adults and one child (under 6 years old is free):
  • Lake Oeschinen: $134 (not included in Swiss Travel Pass)
  • Mürren Cable Car: $77 (50% off with Swiss Travel Pass)
  • Allmendhubel Funicular From Mürren: $52 (included in Swiss Travel Pass)
  • Mountain Train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen: $50 (included in Swiss Travel Pass)
• If you want to take the cogwheel train to Jungfraujoch- the Top of Europe, tickets cost about $200 each, EVEN WITH the Swiss Travel Pass.
• Accommodations:
  • 6 nights in a 2-bedroom Bungalow in Lauterbrunnen (click here to see where we stayed): $2,120
• Activities:
  • Bike Rental in Lauterbrunnen: $137 for 2 adult bikes, 1 kid bike, and 1 trailer
  • Entrance to Ballenberg Open-Air Swiss Museum: $94 for a family ticket (free with Swiss Travel Pass)
  • Trummelbach Falls: $51 for 2 adults and 1 child
  • Lake Oeschinen Alpine Coaster: $47 for three rides for the whole family
  • Wengen Ball Run: $20 for 5 balls
  • Mürren Via Ferrata: $234 for 1 adult
• Restaurants:
  • Two dinners from Restaurant Weidstübli in Lauterbrunnen: $210 (adult entree average is $33)
• Groceries: I’m unsure of our exact spending, but I’d estimate it’s at least 25% more than what you can typically expect to pay in the US. So to ‘guesstimate’ your cost, add 25% onto your usual grocery bill.

💰🇨🇭 TOTAL COST FOR 7 DAYS AND 6 NIGHTS FOR A FAMILY OF 5 (without airfare or groceries):

= $3697 with rental car (or would have cost $3,993 with the Swiss Travel Pass)

*If you are traveling from the US, round-trip flights can range from $600 to $1,200 per ticket.

🛏️ ACCOMMODATION Costs:

• Bungalow in Lauterbrunnen at Camping Jungfrau (6 nights): $2,120

IN A RUSH? LINKS TO OUR ACCOMMODATIONS:

😍 Bungalows at Camping Jungfrau:We LOVED staying in these 2-bedroom bungalows located RIGHT at the base of Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen. They are super cute, have an amazing view, a full kitchen, and they are AFFORDABLE. 

We LOVED staying in these 2-bedroom bungalows with a full kitchen and living space. They were located RIGHT at the base of Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen- how amazing is that?

They are super cute, have an amazing view, a full kitchen, and the best part is… they are AFFORDABLE (for Swiss standards).

The bungalows are part of what is called ‘Camping Jungfrau‘, but don’t let the name put you off! Yes it’s technically a campsite, but it also has multiple different small bungalows and cabin options (some with kitchens, some not).

There’s even a great restaurant on-site, a very small shop, and a kids’ playground with waterfall views.

We paid $350 per night in September, and that was leaps and bounds better than other prices I found for comparable accommodations.

🚈 Swiss Travel Pass Prices:

There are so many different travel pass options in Switzerland that it can be a little dizzying trying to figure them all out.

In the end, we opted for a rental car rather than using public transit since we know it’s a better experience overall for our young kids (helps keep their energy saved for when they need it rather than long walks to and from the train station, etc.).

But even though we used a rental car, I still researched travel passes extensively before making our decision (and have talked with friends who have used the travel passes).

*The most common public transit pass (and most likely the best option for you) is the Swiss Travel Pass. Although expensive, it includes FREE train, bus, and boat rides throughout ALL of Switzerland, PLUS entry to hundreds of museums and discounts on select cable cars/cogwheel trains. *

I recommend downloading the SBB app (the Swiss public transit app) to easily check timetables and book tickets if you don’t have a travel pass.

TOP SWITZERLAND TRAVEL PASS OPTIONS:

🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Swiss Travel Pass: Take the headache away from booking public transit with FREE train, bus and boat rides in Switzerland + FREE entry to over 500 museums + 50% discount on select mountain excursions and mountain rail travel.

🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Swiss Half-Fare Card: Enjoy 50% discount on all public transportation (trains, boats, and buses) in Switzerland, INCLUDING most mountain railways and cable cars.

🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Jungfrau Travel Pass: Enjoy unlimited bus, boat, train, and cable car rides for between 3 and 8 days in the Jungfrau Region.

🚡 Cable Car Costs:

Below are the cable cars and cogwheel/mountain trains that we rode during our time in Switzerland.

Some select cable cars and mountain trains are included or have a 50% discount with the Swiss Travel Pass (as I note next to each one below).

You could definitely ride WAY more than this, even with the time we had, but with our relaxed family itinerary, this is what we could fit in.

It’s important to note that if you want to take the cogwheel train to Jungfraujoch- the Top of Europe, tickets cost about $200 each, EVEN WITH the Swiss Travel Pass.

• Lake Oeschinen Cable Car: $134 (not included in Swiss Travel Pass)
• Mürren Cable Car: $77 (50% off with Swiss Travel Pass)
• Allmendhubel Funicular From Mürren: $52 (included in Swiss Travel Pass)
• Mountain Train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen: $50 (included in Swiss Travel Pass)

If you think that taking the cable cars costs too much money, I highly recommend reconsidering. The cable cars get you up to some of the most beautiful places in the Swiss Alps, and a trip to Switzerland wouldn’t be the same without them.

However, that doesn’t mean you have to take EVERY cable car or mountain cogwheel train!

🚗 Car Rental Price in Switzerland:

• 7-day car rental in Switzerland: $471

We chose to rent a car in Switzerland and were very happy with our decision. We appreciated the freedom that having our own car gave us, and our kids seemed to manage better with some quiet time in the car compared to potentially loud and/or crowded public transit.

Another major reason that we chose to rent a car is because of the extra walking that public transit involves. A 15-20 minute walk to or from a train station may not sound like a lot, but those walks add up for young kids who need all their energy for the day ahead.

That being said, if I had been traveling with just my husband, I think we would have purchased the Swiss Travel Pass. The pass really takes care of much of the worry and stress that comes with public transit since trains, busses and boats are included throughout ALL of Switzerland.

Switzerland has a very impressive rail system connecting you to almost anywhere you want to go (even the top of massive mountain peaks😯).

🚗💰Click here to see if you can save money on your car rental with Economy Bookings!🚗💰

🧗‍♂️ Activity Costs in Switzerland:

Renting a bike in Lauterbrunnen was one of our favorite things we did in Switzerland. The bike ride is easy and lovely and so much more fun than walking the long, flat Lauterbrunnen Valley path.

I also highly recommend riding at least one alpine coaster while in Switzerland.

We rode the coaster at Lake Oeschinen; however, there is also one at Grindelwald (amongst others throughout Switzerland). They are so fun and such a unique experience. Definitely one of the things our kids reminisce about the most!

Ballenberg Open-Air Swiss Museum was a lovely surprise. It’s a large piece of land comprised of hundreds of buildings brought from all over Switzerland and rebuilt exactly. It’s a great way to get a taste for authentic Swiss life.

These are the main activities we paid for in Switzerland:

• Bike Rental in Lauterbrunnen: $137 for 2 adult bikes, 1 kid bike, and 1 trailer
• Entrance to Ballenberg Open-Air Swiss Museum: $94 for a family ticket (free with Swiss Travel Pass)
• Trummelbach Falls: $51 for 2 adults and 1 child (this is pretty expensive for what it is, but still interesting)
• Lake Oeschinen Alpine Coaster: $47 for three rides for the whole family
• Wengen Ball Run: $20 for 5 balls
• Mürren Via Ferrata: $234 for 1 adult (I had no interest in this, so my husband did it while we played nearby at Allmendhubel playground)

🍝 Food Costs in Switzerland

• Restaurants: An average entree at a normal (not super fancy) restaurant costs about $35. We ate out twice and spent $210.

• Supermarket: You can expect to pay 25%-30% more for groceries in Switzerland than in the US. I haven’t added up how much we spent on groceries since we’d be paying for groceries at home, but they were a bit more expensive than what we usually pay.

Hopefully, this guide answers your question: ‘ How expensive is a trip to Switzerland?’ If you have any other questions, be sure to let me know in the comments below. I’ll be sure to get back to you.

🇨🇭 LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT VISITING SWITZERLAND?🇨🇭

CHECK OUT MY OTHER SWITZERLAND GUIDES:

🏞️ One Perfect Day at Lake Oeschinensee in Switzerland

✨ Switzerland with Kids: 5 Day Bernese Oberland Itinerary

🌻 Allmendhubel Flower Playground in Mürren Switzerland

🗓️ What It’s Like Visiting Switzerland in September

❗ 11 Helpful Things To Know Before Visiting Switzerland

🛏️ Camping Jungfrau Lauterbrunnen Review: Beautiful Bungalows + Affordable Price

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